Alta Vendita Vennari Freemason subversion Catholic Church nwo illuminati

The Permanent
Instruction of the

Alta Vendita

T his little booklet examines The Permanent
his fraction of the Alta Vendita —the once
secret papers of the Masons which outline a plan to
subvert the Catholic Church. The author quotes the
actual Masonic document, which holh Pope Pius IX
(1846-1878) and Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) asked
to he published. This document describes the
Masons* diabolical strategy to destroy the Church
by infecting her leaders with Liberal ideas. In this
way. Catholics would be promulgating Masonic
ideals under the mantle of seemingly legitimate
Catholicism. The book describes how far the plot
has succeeded, and it includes an appendix detailing
the aims of Freemasonry, as well as Leo Xllfs
denunciation of that society. It also contains the
famous Oath Against Modernism required by Pope
St, Pius X of all clergy, plus an official prayer for
the conversion of Freemasons. This dynamic little
booklet gives the reader an awareness of the dangers
posed by Freemasonry and will expose the truth
about the secret aims of this
powerful secret organization.

TAN

The Permanent
Instruction of the

John

® Vennari

A Masonic Blueprint
for the Subversion of
The Catholic Church

This Utile bombshell exposes the truth about the onoe-
sccret papers of the Alta Vertdita, which lay out a Masonic
blueprint for the subversion of the Catholic Church. The
booklet quotes the actual AIta Vcmfifa document. examines
how far the Masonic plan has succeeded, cites Papal
denunciations of Freemasonry and gives advice on how
Catholics should respond to this grave spiritual danger
Therefore, we are making this booklet available at the low¬
est possible prices for quantity distribution in order to
reach as many people as possible, The issue is the salvation
of souls and peace in the world.

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The Permanent
Instruction of the

ALTA VENDITA

The Permanent
Instruction of the

ALTA VENDITA

A Masonic Blueprint for the
Subversion of the Catholic Church

By

John Vennari

EDITOR OP CATHOLIC FAMILY NEWS

"For our wrestling in nor against flesh and
blood; Inn against principalities ami powers,
against the rulers of the world of this dark¬
ness, against the spirits of wickedness in the
high places." —Ephesians 6:12

TAN BOOKS AND PUBLISHERS, INC.
Rockford. Illinois 61105

Copyright £> 1999 by John Vennari.

This booklet is adapted from an article originally pub-
! i shed in I he February, 1997 issue of Catholic Family
iV(?uMPO Bon 743. Niiijpara Falls, New York 14302.
Catholic Family News is published monthly, Sample copy
available upon request.

ISBN 0-K9555-644-8

Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 9K-6I685
Primed and bound in the United States of America.

TAN BOOKS AND PUBLISHERS, INC.
P.0, Bon 424
Rockford, Illinois AJ105
1999

"Our ultimate end is that of Voltaire
and of die French Revolution—the final
destruction of Catholicism* and even of
the Christian idea.”

—From The Permanent Instruction
(Sec p. 6}*

CONTENTS

An Gulling . . . . ..2

Is It Possible? . * . , t . « + » . „ . .„ . . , , 4

The Authenticity of the Alta Vendtta

Documents . . , .. 5

The Permanent instruction of the

Alla Vendila .. 6

The Enlightenment. My Friend, Is "Blowin’

in the Wind" . . . ... , M

"Liheral Catholics" 13

Pope St. Pius X and Modernism .. . 13

Curia on the Alert. 15

Canon Roea's Revolutionary Ravings ..... 16

The Great Council that Never Was ...... 18

Roncalli to “Consecrate Ecumenism" ..... 19

Pope John's Revolution . 2D

"Marching under a New Banner".. 21

Cheers from the Masonic Bleachers.23

A Break with the Past , ... 25

The Status of the Vatican II Documents .... 27

"A Revolution in Tiara and Cope" . ..30

The Passion of the Church. 30

"Only She Can Help You" ..32

Notes... 33

Appendix 1. Freemasonry’s Hatred of the

Catholic Church ..38

vi*

Tht J Permanent instruction

viii

Notes lt> Appendix I .. 43

Appendix II. The Oath Against Modernism . . 45
Prayer for the Conversion of Freemasons ... 50

The Permanent
Instruction of the

ALTA VENDITA

THE PERMANENT INSTRUCTION
OE THE ALTA VENDITA

F EW Catholics know of The Permanent
Instruction of the Alta Vendita, a secret
document written in the early 19th century that
mapped out a blueprint for the subversion of
the Catholic Church. The Alta Vendita was the
highest lodge of the Carbonari, art Italian
secret society with links to Freemasonry and
which, along with Freemasonry, was con¬
demned by the Catholic Church. 1 Fr. E. Cahill,
S.J. in his book Freemasonry and the Anti-
Christian Movement stales that the Alta Ven-
dita was “commonly supposed to have been at
the time the governing centre of European
Freemasonry." 1 The Carbonari were most active
in Italy and France,

In his book Athanasius and the Church of
Our Time, Bishop Rudolph Graber quoted a
Freemason who declared that "the goal [of
Freemasonry] is no longer the destruction of
the Church, but to make use of it by infiltrat¬
ing it

i

2

The Pennantns insfruction

In other words, since Freemasonry cannot
completely obliterate Christ's Church, it plans
not only to eradicate the influence of Catholi¬
cism in society, hut also to use the Church's
structure as an instrument of “renewal." "pro¬
gress" and "enlightenment** to further many of
its own principles and goals.

An Outline

The strategy advanced in 77te Permanent
Instruction of the Aha Vendita is astonishing in
Sts audacity and cunning. From the start* the
document tells of a process that will take
decades to accomplish. Those who drew up the
document knew that they would not see its ful¬
fillment. They were inaugurating a work that
would he carried on by succeeding generations
of the initiated. The Permanent Instruction
says. "In our ranb the soldier dies and the
struggle goes on,*’

The Instruction called for the dissemination
of liberal ideas and axioms throughout society
and within the institutions of the Catholic
Church so that laity, seminarians, clerics and
prelates would. over the years, gradually he
imbued with progressive principles.

In time, this mind-set would be so pervasive

Of the Alta Vendita

3

that priests would be ordained, bishops would
be consecrated and cardinals would be nomi¬
nated whose thinking was in step with the
modem thought rooted in the French Revolu¬
tion's Declaration of the Rights of Man and
other "Principles of 1789" (equality of religions,
separation of Church and Stale, religious plu¬
ralism* etc.).

Eventually, a Pope would be elected from
these ranks who would lead the Church on the
path of “enlightenment** and "renewal,** They
stated that it was not their aim to place a
Freemason on the Chair of Peter, Their goal
was to effect an environment that would even¬
tually produce a Pope and a hierarchy won over
to the ideas of liberal Catholicism* all the while
believing themselves to be faithful Catholics.

These Catholic leaders, ihcn, would no longer
oppose the modem ideas of the Revolution (as
had been the consistent practice of the Popes
from 1789 until 1958—the death of Pope Pius
XI1—who condemned these liberal principles)
but would amalgamate them into the Church.
The end result would be a Catholic clergy and
laity marching under the banner of the Enlight¬
enment, all the while thinking they are march¬
ing under the banner of the Apostolic keys*

4

The Perm tine til instruction

Is It Possible?

For those who may believe this scheme to
be loo far-fetched —a goal too hopeless for the
enemy to attain, it should be noted that both
Pope Pius IX and Pope Leo XIH asked that
The Permanent Instruction be published, no
doubt in order to prevent such a tragedy from
taking place.

However, if such a dark state of affairs w ould
ever come to pass, there would obviously be
three unmistakable means of recognizing it:

l} It would produce an upheaval of such mag¬
nitude that the entire world would realize that
there had been a major revolution inside the
Catholic Church in line with modern ideas. It
would he clear lo all that an "updating" had
taken place,

2} A new theology would be introduced that
would be in contradiction to previous teach¬
ings,

3) The Freemasons themselves would voice
their cock-a-doodle of triumph, believing that
the Catholic Church had finally “seen the light"
on such points as equality of religions, the sec¬
ular state, pluralism and whatever other com¬
promises had been achieved.

Of the Aha Vendita

5

The Authenticity of the

A if a Vendita Documents

The secret papers of the Alta Vendita that
fell into the hands of Pope Gregory XVI
embrace a period that goes from 1820 to 1846.
They were published at the request of Pope Pius
IX by Cretineau-Joly in his work The Roman
Chunk and Revolution*

With the brief of approbation of February
25, 1861, which he addressed to the author.
Pope Pius IX guaranteed the authenticity of
these documents, but he did not allow anyone
to divulge the true members of the Atta Ven¬
dita implicated in this correspondence.

The full text of the Permanent Instruction of
the Alta Vendita is also contained in Msgr.
George E. Dillon's book. Grand Orient Free¬
masonry Unmasked. When Pope Leo XIH was
presented with a copy of Msgr. Dillon’s book,
he was so impressed that he ordered an Italian
version to be completed and published at his
own expense. 5

In the Encyclical Hu man am Genas (1884),
Leo XIH called upon Catholic leaders to “tear
off the mask from Freemasonry and make plain
lo all what it really is,"* The publication of these
documents is a means of "tearing off the mask."

6

The Permanent instruction

And if the Popes asked that these letters be
published, it is because they wanted all
Catholics to know the secret societies 7 plans to
subvert the Church from within—so that
Catholics would be on their guard and* hope¬
fully, prevent such a catastrophe from taking
place*

The Permanent Instruction
of the Alta Vendita

What follows is not the entire Instruction,
but the sections that are most pertinent to our
discussion. The document reads (with empha¬
sis added):

Our ultimate end is that of Voltaire and
of the French Revolution—the final
destruction of Catholicism* and even of
the Christian idea. * . .

The Pope, whoever he is. will never
come to the secret societies; it is up to
the secret societies to take the first step
toward the Church, with the aim of con¬
quering both of them,

The task that we are going to under¬
take is not the work of a day* or of a
month, or of a yean it may last several

7

Of the Alra Vendita

years* perhaps a century; but in our ranks
the soldier dies and the struggle goes on.

We do not intend to win the Popes to
our cause* to make them neophytes of our
principles, propagators of our ideas. That
would be a ridiculous dream: and if events
turn out in some way. if Cardinals or
prelates* for example* of their own free
will or by surprise* should enter into a part
of our secrets* this is not at all an incen¬
tive for desiring their elevation to the See
of Peter. That elevation would ruin us.
Ambition alone would have led them to
apostasy, the requirements of power would
Force them to sacrifice us. What w r e must
ask for, what we should look for and wait
for* as the jews wait for the Messiah, is
a Pope according to our needs , * .

With that we shall march more securely
towards the assault on the Church than
with the pamphlets of our brethren in
France and even the gold of England. Do
you want to know the reason for this? It
is that with this* in order to shatter the
high rock on which God has built His
Church, we no longer need Hannibalian
vinegar, or need gunpowder, or even need
our arms. We have the little finger of the

8 The Permanent instruction

successor of Peter engaged in the ploy,
and ibis Httle finger is as good, for this
crusade, as all the Urban Its and all the
Saint Bernards in Christendom.

We have no doubt that we will arrive at
this supreme end of our efforts. But when?
But how? The unknown is not yet revealed.
Nevertheless, as nothing should turn us
aside from the plan drawn up, and on the
contrary everything should tend to this, as
if as early as tomorrow success w ere going
to crown the work that is barely sketehed,
we wish, in this instruction, which will
remain secret for the mere initiates, to give
the officials in the charge of the supreme
Vente [Lodge] some advice that they
should instill in all the brethren, in the form
of instruction or of a memorandum .

Now then, to assure ourselves a Pope
of the required dimensions, it is a ques¬
tion first of shaping for this Pope a gen¬
eration worthy of the reign we are
dreaming of Leave old people and those
of a mature age aside: go to the youth,
and if it is possible, even to the children.
. ► , You will contrive for yourselves, at
little cost, a reputation as good Catholics
and pure patriots.

Of the Alia Vendita

9

This reputation will put access to our
doctrines into the midst of the young
clergy, as well as deeply into the monas¬
teries, In a few years, by the force of
things, this young clergy will have over¬
run all the functions; they will form the
sovereign's council, they will be called to
choose a Pontiff w r ho should reign. And
this Pontiff, like most of his contempo¬
raries, will he necessarily more or iess
imbued with the frevolutionary} Italian
and humanitarian principles that we are
going to begin to put into circulation. It
is a small grain of black mustard that we
are entrusting to the ground: but the sun¬
shine of justice will develop it up to the
highest power, and you will see one day
what a rich harvest this small seed will
produce.

In the path that we are laying out for
our brethren there are found great obsta¬
cles to conquer, difficulties of more than
one kind to master They will triumph over
them by experience and by clearsighted¬
ness : but the goal is so splendid that it is
important to put all the sails to the wind
in order to reach it. You want to revolu¬
tionize Italy: look for the Pope whose por-

10 The Permanent Instruction

trail we have jusi drawn. You wish to
establish the reign of the chosen ones on
the throne of the prostitute of Babylon;
let the clergy match under your standard,
always believing that they are marching
under the banner of the Apostolic keys.
You intend to make the last vestige of
tyrants and the oppressors disappear; lay
your snares (nets! like Simon Bar-Jona;
lay them in the sacristies, the seminaries
and the monasteries rather than at the hot-
tom of the sea: and if you do not hurry*
we promise you a catch more miraculous
than his. The fisher of fish became the
fisher of men: you will bring friends
around the Apostolic Chair. You wilt have
preached a revolution in tiara and in cope,
marching with the cross and the banner,
a revolution that will need to be only a
little bit urged on to set fire to the four
comers of the world. 1

It now remains for us to examine how suc¬
cessful this design has been.

Of the Atm Vemiita

11

The Enlightenment, My Friend, Is
“Blow in’ in I he Wind'’

Throughout the I9ih century, society had
become increasingly permeated with the liberal
principles of the Enlightenment and the French
Revolution, to the great detriment of the
Catholic Faith and the Catholic State. The sup¬
posedly “kinder and gentler" notions of reli¬
gious pluralism, religious indifferent ism. a
democracy which believes all authority comes
from the people, false notions of liberty* sepa¬
ration of Church and State, interfaith gather¬
ings and other novelties were gripping the
minds ofpost-Enlightenment Europe, infecting
statesmen and churchmen alike.

The Popes of the 19th century and early 20th
century waged war against these dangerous
trends in full battle dress. With clearsighted
presence of mind rooted in an uncompromised
certitude of Faith, these Popes were not taken
in. They knew that evil principles, no matter
how honorable they may appear, cannot bear
gcxid fruit, and these were evil principles at their
worst, since they were rooted not only in
heresy, but in apostasy.

Like commanding generals who recognize
the duty to hold their ground at all cost* these

12

The Permanent Instruction

Popes aimed powerful cannons at the errors of
the modern world and fired incessantly. The
Encyclicals were their cannonballs, and they
never missed their target/

The most devastating blast came in the form
of Pope Pius IX's monumental 1 864 Syllabus
of Errors, and when the smoke cleared, all
involved in the battle were in no doubt as to
who was on what side. The lines of demarca¬
tion had clearly been drawn. In this great Syf-
tabus* Pius IX condemned the principal errors
of the modern world, not because they were
modern, but because these new f ideas were
rooted in pantheistic naturalism and were there¬
fore incompatible with Catholic doctrine, as
well as being destructive to society.

The teachings in the Syllabus were counter-
Liberalism, and the principles of Liberalism
were counter-SW/tf bn*. This was unquestionably
recognized by all parties. Father Denis Fahey
referred to this showdown as Pius IX vs. the
Pantheistic Deification of Man/ Speaking for
the other side, the French Freemason Ferdinand
Buis son likewise declared. "A school cannot
remain neutral between the Syllabus and the
'Declaration of the Rights of Man/” 1 '

Of ihe A fui Wendtta

13

“Liberal Catholics*’

Yet the 19th century saw f a now breed of
Catholic w r ho utopian I y sought a compromise
between the two. These men looked for what
they believed to he "good" in the principles of
1789 and tried to introduce them into the
Church. Many clergymen, infected by the spirit
of the age, were caught into this net that had
been “cast into the sacristies and into the sem¬
inaries/ They came to be known as “Liberal
Catholics/ Pope Pius IX remarked that they
were the worst enemies of the Church, Despite
this, their numbers increased.

Pope St, Pius X and Modernism

This crisis peaked around the beginning of
the 20th century when the Liheralism of 3 789
that had been “blowin' in I he wuikT sw irled
into the tornado of Modernism. Fr. Vincent
Mi cell identified this heresy as such by describ¬
ing Modernism’s "trinity of parents/ He wrote:

I > Its religious ancestor is the Protestant
Reformation;

2) Its philosophical parent is the Enlight¬
enment;

14

The Permanent imrntciion

3) Its political pedigree comes from the
French Revolution. 11

Pope St, Pius X. who ascended to the papa!
chair in 1903. recognized Modernism as a most
deadly plague that must be arrested. He wrote
that the most important obligation of the Pope
is to insure the purity and integrity of Catholic
doctrine, and he further stated that if he did
nothing, then he would have failed in his essen¬
tial duty. 11

St, Pius X waged a war on Modernism, issued
an Encyclical (Pascendi) and a Syllabus (Urn-
eniahili) against it. instituted the Anti-Modernist
Oath to be sworn by all priests and theology
teachers, purged the seminaries and universi¬
ties of Modernists and excommunicated the
stubborn and unrepentant.

St. Pius X effectively hailed the spread of
Modernism in his day. It is reported, however,
that when he was congratulated for having erad¬
icated this grave error, St. Pius X immediately
responded that despite all his efforts, he had
not succeeded in killing this beast, hut had only
driven it underground. He warned that if Church
leaders were not vigilant, it would return in the
future more virulent than ever."

Of the Alfa Vendira

15

Curia on the Alert

A little-known drama that unfolded during
the reign of Pope Pius XI demonstrates that the
underground current of Modernist thought was
alive and well in the immediate post-Pius X
period.

Father Raymond Du lac relates that at the
secret consistory' of May 23, 1923, Pope Pius
XI questioned the thirty Cardinals of the Curia
on the timeliness of summoning an ecumeni¬
cal council. In attendance were such illustrious
prelates as Cardinals Merry del Vai, De Lai,
Gasparri. Roggiani and Billot. The Cardinals
advised against it.

Cardinal Billot warned, The existence of
profound differences in the midst of the epis¬
copacy itself cannot be concealed . . , lThey]
run the risk of giving place to discussions that
will be prolonged indefinitely."

Boggiani recalled the Modernist theories
from which, he said, a part of the clergy and
of the bishops w'ere not exempt. "This mental¬
ity can incline certain Fathers to present
motions, to introduce methods incompatible
with Catholic traditions"

Billot was even more precise. He expressed
his fear of seeing the council "maneuvered” by

16

The Permanent Instruction

"‘the worst enemies of the Church, the Mod¬
ernists, who nre already gelling ready, as cer¬
tain indications show, 10 bring forth the
revolution in the Church, a new 1789 ," u

In discouraging the idea of a council for
such reasons, these Cardinals showed them¬
selves more apt at recognizing the "signs of the
times 1 " than all the post-Vatican II theologians
combined. Yet their caution may have been
rooted in something deeper. They may also have
been haunted by the writings of the infamous
illumine, the excommunicated Canon Roca
(1830-1893), who preached revolution and
Church "reform"" and who predicted a subver¬
sion of the Church that would be brought about
by a council.

Canon Koca’s Revolutionary Ravings

In his book Athanasius and the Church of
Our Time, Bishop Graber refers to Canon
Roea's prediction of a new, enlightened Church
which would be Influenced by "the socialism
of Jesus and the Apostles."' 15

In the mid-19th century. Roca had predicted:
"The new church, which might not be able to
retain anything of Scholastic doctrine and the
original form of the former Church, will nev-

17

Of the Alta Verulita

ertheiess receive consecration and canonical
jurisdiction from Rome/' Bishop Graber, com¬
menting on this prediction, remarked. "A few
years ago this was still inconceivable to us. but
today * . ,?” 1 *

Canon Roca also predicted a liturgical
"reform/' With reference to the future liturgy*
he believed "that the divine cult in the form
directed by the liturgy, ceremonial, ritual and
regulations of the Roman Church will shortly
undergo a transformation at an ecumenical
council* which will restore to it the venerable
simplicity of the golden age of the Apostles in
accordance with the dictates of conscience and
modern civilization/’ 17

He foretold that through this council wilt
come "a perfect accord between the ideals of
modern civilization and the ideal of Christ and
His Gospel. This will be the consecration of
the New r Social Order and the solemn baptism
of modern civilization/*

Roca also spoke of the future of the Papacy,
He wrote. "There is a sacrifice in the offing
which represents a solemn act of expiation . . ,
The Papacy will fall; it will die under the hal¬
lowed knife which the fathers of the last coun¬
cil will forge. The papal cuesar is a host [victim]
crowned for the sacrifice/' 11

18

The Permanent tnstruction

Roca enthusiastically predicted a ""new reli-
gioiC "new dogma" "new riiuaL" “new priest¬
hood" “He called the new> priests pro¬
gressists' [sic]; he speaks of the ‘suppression'
of the soutane [cassock | and the ‘marriage of
priests/" 1 ’

Chilling echos of Roca and the Aha Vend it a
are to be found in the words of the Rosicru-
cian Dr Rudolph Steiner who declared in
19It), “We need a council and a Pope to pro¬
claim it."®

The Great Council that Never Was

Around 1948. Pope Pius XII, at the request
of the staunchly orthodox Cardinal Ruffini, con¬
sidered calling a general council and even spent
a few years making the necessary preparations.
There is evidence that progressive elements in
Rome eventually dissuaded Pius Xll from
bringing it to realization since this council
showed definite signs of being in sync with
Hum&ni Generis. Like this great 1950 encycli¬
cal* the new council would combat "false opin¬
ions which threaten to undermine the
foundations of Catholic doctrine

Tragically. Pope Pius XII became convinced
that he was too advanced in years to shoulder

19

Of the Aha Vendita

this momentous task, and he resigned himself
to the idea that "this will be for my succes-

Roncalli to “Consecrate Ecumenism 1 ’

Throughout the pontificate of Pope Pius XII
(1939-1958), the Holy Office under the able
leadership of Cardinal Ottaviani maintained a
safe Catholic landscape by keeping the wild
horses of Modernism firmly corralled. Many of
today's Modernist theologians disdainfully
recount how they and their friends had been
“muzzled” during this period.

Yet even Ottaviani could not prevent what
was to happen in 1958. A new type of Pope
“whom the progressives believed to favor their
cause"** would ascend to the pontifical chair
and would force a reluctant Ottaviani to remove
the latch, open the corral and brace himself for
the stampede.

However, such a state of affairs was not
unforeseen. At the news of the death of Pius
XIL the old Dorn Lambert Reauduin, a friend
of Cardinal Roncalli (the future John XXIII),
confided to Father Louis Bouyer: "If they elect
Roncalli, everything would be saved; he would
he capable of calling a council and of eonse-

20 The Permanent instruction

crating ecumenism

And so ii happened: Cardinal Runcalli was
elected and called a council which "conse¬
crated" 4 ecumenism. The “revolution in tiara and
cope 44 was underway.

Pope John’s Revolution

It is well known and superbly documented 2 ’
that a clique of liberal theologians ( periti ) and
bishops hijacked Vatican Council II (1962-
1965) with an agenda to remake the Church
into their own image through the implementa¬
tion of a "new theology." Critics and defend¬
ers of Vatican II are in agreement on this point.

In his book Vatican it Revisited, Bishop Alov-
sius J. Wycislo (a rhapsodic advocate of the
Vatican II revolution) declares with enthusiasm
that "theologians and biblical scholars who had
been ‘under a cloud 4 for years surfaced as per¬
iti [theological experts advising the bishops at
the Council], and their post-Vatican II books
and commentaries became popular reading." 2 *
He notes that "Pope Pius XI I s encyclical
Human i Generis [1950] had . . . a devastating
effect on the work of a number of pre-concil¬
iar theologians" 27 and explains that "During the
early preparation of the Council, those then lo¬

ll

Of the Alto Vendito

gians (mainly French, with some Germans)
whose activities had been restricted by Pope
Pius XU, were still under a cloud. Pope John
quietly lifted the ban affecting some of the most
influential ones. Yet a number remained sus¬
pect to the officials of the Holy Office” 24
Bishop Wycislo sings the praises of tri¬
umphant progressives such as Hans Kiing. Karl
Rahncr, John Courtney Murray* Yves Congar,
Henri de Lubac* Edward Sehillebeeckx and
Gregory Baum, who had been considered sus¬
pect before the Council* but who arc now the
leading lights of post-Vatican II theology.**
in effect* those whom Pope Pius Xll con¬
sidered unfit to he walking the streets of
Catholicism were now in control of the town.
And as if to crown their achievements, the Oath
against Modernism was quietly suppressed
shortly alter I he close of the Council. St, Pius
X had predicted correctly. Lack of vigilance in
authority had allowed Modernism to return
with a vengeance.

"Marching under a New Banner”

There were countless battles ai Vatican 11
between the International Group of Fathers,
who fought to maintain Tradition* and the pro-

22 The Permanent Instruction

gressive Rhine group Tragically, in the end. it
was the latter* the Liberal and Modernist ele¬
ment that prevailed.' 0

It was obvious, to anyone who had eyes to
see, that the Council opened the door to many
ideas that had formerly been anathema to
Church teaching, but which arc in step with
modernist thought. This did not happen by acci¬
dent* hut by design.

The progressives ai Vatican II avoided con¬
demnations of Modernist errors. They also
deliberately planted ambiguities in the Coun¬
cil's texts which they intended to exploit after
the Council/ 1 These ambiguities have been uti¬
lized to promote an ecumenism that had been
condemned by Pope Pius XI, a religious lib¬
erty^ that had been condemned by the 19th and
early 20th-century Popes (especially Pope Pius
IX), a new liturgy along the lines of ecumenism
that Archbishop Bugnini called "a major con¬
quest of the Catholic Church;' a collegiality that
strikes at the heart of the papal primacy and a
“new attitude toward the world”—especially in
one of the most radical of all the Council doc¬
uments, Gaudium et Spes .

As the authors of The Permanent Instruction
of the Alta Vend it a had hoped, the notions of
Liberal culture had finally won adherence

23

Of the Alla Verulita

among major players in the Catholic hierarchy
and were thus spread throughout the entire
Church, The result has been an unprecedented
crisis of Faith* w hich continues to worsen. At
the same time, countless highly placed Church¬
men* obviously inebriated by the “spirit of
Vatican 11." continuously praise those post-Co n-
ciliar reforms that have brought this calamity
to pass.

Cheers from tire Masonic Bleachers

Yet, not only many of our Church leaders*
but also Freemasons celebrate this turn of
events. They rejoice that Catholics have finally
“seen the light,” since it appears that many of
their Masonic principles have been sanctioned
by the Church.

Yves Marsaudon of the Scottish Rite* in his
book Ecumenism Viewed by a Traditional
Freemason, praised the ecumenism nurtured at
Vatican II. He said:

Catholics * . . must not forget that ail
roads lead to Cod, And they will have to
accept that this courageous idea of free-
ihinking, which we can really call a rev¬
olution* pouring forth from our Masonic

24

The Permanent Instruction

lodges, has spread magnificently over the
dome of St, Peter's/ 1 *

The post-Vatican II spirit of doubt and rev¬
olution obviously warmed the heart of French
Freemason Jacques Miiterand, who wrote
approvingly:

Something has changed within the
Church, and replies given by the Pope to
the most urgent questions, such as priestly
celibacy and birth control, are hotly
debated within the Church itself: the word
of the Sovereign Pontiff is questioned by
bishops, by priests, by the faithful. For a
Freemason, a man who questions dogma
is already a Freemason w ithout an apron. M

Marcel Prelot, a senator for the Doubs region
in France, goes much further in describing what
has taken place.

He writes:

We had struggled for a century and a
half to bring our opinions to prevail with
the Church and had not succeeded. Finally,
there came Vatican II and we triumphed.
From then on the propositions and prin¬

ts/ (he AlUt Vend it a

25

ciples of liberal Catholicism have been
definitively and officially accepted by
Holy Church.' 1 *

Prelofs statement deserves comment, since
we must make the distinction between the
Church and Churchmen. Despite any claims by
Freemasons, it is impossible for doctrinal errors
to be “definitively and officially accepted by
Holy Church" as such. The Church, ihc Mys¬
tical Body of Christ, cannot fall into error. Our
Lord promised that “the gates of Hell shall not
prevail against it" {Matt. 16:181, Bui this does
not mean that Churchmen, even at the highest
levels, cannot be infected w ith the liberal spirit
of the age and promote ideas and practices that
are opposed to the Church's perennial Magis*
terium*

A Break with the Past

Those “conservatives" who deny that vari¬
ous points of Vatican 11 constitute a break with
Tradition and with previous Magisterial pro¬
nouncements^—at least by ambiguity, implica¬
tions and omissions—have failed to listen to
the very movers and shakers of the Council who
shamelessly acknowledge this.

26

The Permanent tnsirvcti&i I

Yves Cougar, one of the artisans of the
reform, remarked with quiet satisfaction that
"The Church has had. peacefully, its October
[Communist] Re vQlution
The same Father Yves Cougar stated that Vat¬
ican li's Declaration on Religious Liberty is
contrary to the Syllabus of Pope Pius IX,
Regarding Article 2 of the Declaration, he said:

It cannot be denied that a text like this
dues materially say something dilTerent
from the Syllabus of 1864, and even
almost the opposite of propositions 15 and
77-79 of that document*"

Lastly, some years ago. Cardinal Ratzinger,
apparently unruffled by the admission, wrote
that he sees the Vatican II text Gaudium et Spes
as a “countersyllabusf* He wrote:

If it is desirable to offer a diagnosis of
the text [Gaudium et Spej] as a whole, we
might say that tin conjunction with the
texts on religious liberty and world reli¬
gions) it is a revision of the Syllabus of
Pius IX, a kind of eountersyilahus. r , . Let
us he content to say here that the text
serves as a countersyllabus and, as such.

Of the A ka Vendita

21

represents, on the pan of the Church, an
attempt at an official reconciliation with
the new r era inaugurated in 1789/*

The new era inaugurated in 1789 consists, in
effect, in the elevation of the "Rights of Man"
above the rights of Gud¬
in truth, this comment by Cardinal Ratzinger
is disturbing, especially since it came from the
man who. as head of the Sacred Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, is now in charge
of guarding the purity of Catholic doctrine. But
we can also cite a similar statement by the pro¬
gressive Cardinal Suenens. himself a Council
Father, who spoke in terms of "old regimes"
that have come to an end. The words he used
in praise of the Council are the most telling,
the most chilling and the most damning. Sue¬
nens declared. "Vatican II is the French Revo¬
lution in the Church." 4 *

The Status of the Vatican II Documents

For years. Catholics have labored under the
mistaken notion that they must accept the pas¬
toral Council. Vatican IL with the same assent
of faith that they owe to dogmatic Councils.
This, however, is not the case.

28 The Permanent Instruction

The Council Fathers repeatedly referred to
Vatican it as a pastoral Council, a Council
which dealt not with defining the Faith, hut with
implementing it.

The fact that Vatican II is inferior to a dog¬
matic Council is con firmed by the testimony
of Council Father, Bishop Thomas Morris,
which at his request was not unsealed until after
his death:

[ was relieved w-hen we were told that
this Council was not aiming at defining
or giving final statements on doctrine,
because a statement on doctrine has to he
very carefully formulated and 1 would
have regarded the Council documents as
tentative and liable to be reformed. 1,1

At the close of Vatican IL the bishops asked
the Council's Secretary General, Archbishop
Pericle FelieL for that which theologians call
the "theological note” of the Council, that is*
the doctrinal "weight" of Vatican H’s teachings.
Felici replied:

We have to distinguish according to the
schemas and the chapters those which have
already been the subject of dogmatic def-

Of the Alta Vendita

29

initio ns in the past: as for the declarations
which have a novel character, we have to
make reservations. 41

After the dose of Vatican If Paul VI gave
this explanation;

There are those who ask what author¬
ity, what theological qualification the
Council intended to give to its teachings,
knowing that it avoided issuing solemn
dogmatic definitions engaging the infalli¬
bility of the ecclesiastical Magistermm.
The answer is known by whoever remem¬
bers the conciliar declaration of March 6,
l%4, repealed on November 36, 1964:
Given the Council's pastoral character, it
avoided pronouncing, in an extraordinary
manner, dogmas endowed with the note
of infallibility. . . .**

In other words, unlike a dogmatic Council,
Vatican 11 does not demand an unqualified
assent of faith.

Vatican IPs verbose and ambiguous state¬
ments are not on a par with dogmatic pro¬
nouncements. Hence, Vatican IPs novelties are
not unconditionally binding on the faithfui.

30

The Permanent instruction

Catholics may "make reservations” and even
resist any teachings from the Council that
would conflict with the perennial Magisterium
of the centuries.

**A Revolution in Tiara and Cope”

The post-Vatican 11 revolution bears all the
hallmarks of the fulfilling of the designs of The
Permanent instruction of the Alto Vend it a as
well as the prophecies of Canon Roc a:

1) The entire world has witnessed a profound
change within the Catholic Church on an inter¬
national scale, a change that is in step with the
modem world.

2) Vatican IPs defenders and detractors both
demonstrate that certain doctrinal orientations
of and since the Council constitute a break w ith
the past.

3) The Freemasons themselves rejoice that,
thanks to the Council, their ideas “have spread
magnificently over Ihe dome of Saint Peter's.”

The Passion of tin Church

Thus, the passion that our Holy Church is
presently suffering is no great mystery. By reck¬
lessly ignoring the Popes of the past, our pres-

31

Of the Attn Vendiut

enl Church leaders have erected a compromised
structure that is collapsing upon itself. Though
Pope Paul VI lamented that “the Church is in
a stale of auto-demolition,” he. like the present
pontificate, insisted that the disastrous aggtor-
namento responsible for this auto-demolition be
continued full-steam.

In the face of such "diabolic disorientation*
fthe term that Fatima's Sister Lucy employed
to describe the present mind-set of many in
today’s hierarchy), the only response for all
Catholics concerned is;

1) to pray much, especially the Rosary,

2) to learn and live the traditional doctrine
and morals of the Catholic Church as found in
pre-Vatican II Catholic writings,

3) to adhere to the Latin Tridentine Mass
where the Catholic Faith and devotion are
found in iheir fullness, unaffected by today's
ecumenism,

4) to resist with all one's soul the liberal post-
Vatican II trends wreaking havoc on the Mys¬
tical Body of Christ,

5) to instruct others charitably in the Tradi¬
tions of the Faith and warn them of the errors
of the times,

6) to pray that a contagious return to sanity

32 The permanent Instruction

may sweep through a sufficient number of the
hierarchy,

7) to put great confidence in Our Lady and
her power to reorient our Church leaders hack
to Catholic Tradition.

8) never to compromise.

"Only She Can Help You"

Since this present struggle is essentially a
supernatural battle, we must not ignore the
supernatural helps given to us at Fatima in 1917.
Alt concerned Catholics should faithfully ful¬
fill the requests of Our Lady of Fatima, and
especially pray and work toward the consecra¬
tion of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
This will be the key to destroying "the errors
of Russia 1 " not only in Russia, hut worldwide,
including within the Church. For in the
promised Triumph of the Immaculate Heart, the
unrepentant agents of Liberalism, Modernism
and Naturalism will all be gathered in a greal
ecumenical gathering w r ith the Prince of this
World to receive the communal head-crushing
from the heel of the Queen of Heaven.

NOTES

1. The Catholic Encycitipetlia, Vul. 3 {New York: Ency¬
clopedia Press. 1913). pp, 330-331,

2. Rev. E, Cahill. S J.+ Freemasonry and the Anu Chris-
/Ffin Movement (Dublin: Gill. 1959). p. 101.

3. Yves Marsaudnn, quoted in Dr Rudolph Gruber,
Athanasius amt the Church of true Time {Palmdale.
CA: Christian Book Club, 1974), p r 39

4. Crclineau-Joly, The Human Church amt RceoUtlioH,
Vo!. 2. orig. ed,. 1859, ft printed by Circle of the
French Renaissance, Paris. 1976. Msgr Ddassus
reproduced these documents again in his work The
AttfcChrisiidn Conspiracy. Desclec de Brouwer. 1910.
Tome HE. pp. 1035-1092.

5. Mi chad Davies, Pope John's Council (Kansas City:
Angclus Press. 1992), p. 166.

6. Pope Leo XIII. Humanam Genus—On Freemasonry
(Rockford, IL: TAN. 1978). par, 31.

7. Msgr, Del.issus, The Anti-Christidn Conspiracy (Paris:
Dcsclee de Brouwer, 1910). Tome III. pp. 1035-1092.
The full lexl of The Permanent Instruction of the
Alla Vcndiia" is also published in: Msgr. Dillon.
Grand Ghent Freemasonry Unmasked (Dublin: Gill.
1885; Palmdale. Calif.: Chrisiian B<x>k Club, n.d,),
pp. 51-56,

8. For a true understanding of Catholic dextrine vs. mod¬
ern errors, ii is imperative lo study the Papal Encycli¬
cals and other documents against Liberalism,
Modernism and Freemasonry from the 19th and early
20ih-eentury Popes. The most important of these arc
Collected in The Papes against Modem Errors: 16
Papal Oocurrutnis IRock lord TAN. 1999).

34 The Permanent Instruction

9, Fr, Denis Fahey, The Mystical Body of Christ in the
Modern World. C-$.Sp- (Dublin: Regina Publications.
1939), chap, VH,

10. Quoted in ibkt, p. 116 (143).

tl. Fr. Vincent Miccli. The Antichrist (Harrison, NV:
Roman Catholic Books), p. 03,

12. Pope Pius X. Pascertdi ("On Modernism")* par. I.

13. Fr. Vincent Miccli. The Antichrist Kassel le lecture)
(North Ha led on, NJ: Keep the Faith. Inc,).

14. Raymond Dukic, Episcopal ColleginUty at the Sec¬
ond Council of the Vatican (Paris; Ccdre. 1979).
pp. 9-10,

15. Graber, op , err, p. 34.

16. Ibid.. pp. 34. 35,

17. Ibid., p, 35.

18. Ibid

19. Ibid. p. 36,

20. Ibid.

21. A full account of this fascinating history can be found
in; Fr&rc Michel of the Holy Trinity. 77]*' Whole Truth
About Fatima. Volume 3: The Third Secret (Ft. Erie,
Ontario: Immaculate Heart Publications. 1990).
pp. 257-304,

22. Ibid., p. 298.

23. Vicomte Leon de Pone ins. Freemasonry and the Vat¬
ican (Palmdale, CA: Christian Book Club, 1968).
p. 14.

24. Bouyer. Dom Lambert Beaudoin. A Man of the Church
(Casterman, 1964) pp. 180-181, Quoted by Fr. Dilder
Bonneterre in The Liturgical Movement (Ed. Fidel iter*
19801* p. 119.

25. Cf. Fr, Ralph Wiltgcn. S.V.D,. The Rhine Flows into
the Tiber (New York: Hawthorne. 1967; TAN, 1985);

35

Of the A ha Vertdlia

Michael Davies. Pope John's Council (New York;
Arlington House, 1977; Kansas City: Angetus Press.
1992); anil Bishop Wycislo (see next note), which
sings praises of the reform.

26. Most Rev Aloysios Wycislo, Vatican 11 Revisited:
Reflections by One Who H5nr There (Staten Island.
NY: Alba House, 19187), p. s.

27. ibid*, p. 33.

28. Ibid, p, 27,

29. Ibid., pp. 27-34.

30. The entire story of the hijacking of the Council by
liberal prelates and theologians, and (he tragic con¬
sequences of this modernise coup, are superbly
explained in Fr. Ralph Wiltgen, S.V.D/* The Rhine
Flows into the Tiber (New York: Hawthorne. 1967;
TAN. 1985) and in Michael Davies" Pope John's
Council (New York: Arlington House, 1977: Kansas
City: Angelus Press. 1992).

31. This lactic was admitted by liberal Council peritus
Father Edward SchiMeheeckx, Me said. M We will
express it in a diplomatic way. but after the Coun¬
cil* we will draw the implicit conclusions," (Cited
from the Dutch magazine De Baztiin, No. 16* 1965,
in lota Unum , by Romano Amerio, Kansas City* MO;
Sarto House, 1996.) Another quote (or translation of
the same quote) from Fr. Schillcbeeck\ reads* “We
have used ambiguous phrases during the Council and
we know how we wilt interpret them afterwards.'"
(Archbishop Mured Lcfebvt*. An Open Letter to
Confused Catholics. Kansas City: Angel us Press*
1992. p. 106.)

32- Cf, Michael Davies' The Second Vatican Council and
Religious Liberty (Long Prairie. MN: Neumann Press,

36

The Permanent Instruction

1992) for evidence Mint Vatican M's Dignitatis
Hiimtume 4 purl Leu tarty Art. 2) re Heels a contradiction
with previous Papal teaching. The same is admitted
without compunction hy the progressive Council the¬
ologian Rr. Yves Congar. See p. 26 of this booklet.

33. Quoted in Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, An Open
in hr to Confused Cut holies t Kansas City: Angelos
Press. 1992). p. 89,

34. (hid, > pp. KR-K9.

35. Le Catholicism# Liberal. 1969; also Lefebvre. op. cij, ,

p. 100.

36. The great theologian. Cardinal Juan de Torqucmada
(1388-1468). citing the doctrine of Pope Innocent Ml.
teaches that it is possible for even a Pope to go against
the universal customs of the Church- Torqueniada
writes, ’Thus it is that Pope Innocent III slates iDc
Cansucttulinei that it is necessary io obey the Pope
in all things so long as he himself does not go against
[he universal cos corns of the Church, hut should he
go against the universal customs of the Church, he
need not be followed . . " Cited from Rather Pant
Kramer, B.Ph., S TD., M, Div., A Theological Vindi¬
cation of Roman Cathode 7 "ratUtumatixm* 2nd edi¬
tion {St, Francis Press. India), p, 29,

37. Lefebvre, op , eh., p. 100.

38- Yves Con gar, Q.P.. Challenge to the Church (Lon¬
don, 1977)* p. 147, in Michael Davies, The Second
Vatican Council and fictitious Liberty ( Long Prairie,
MN: Neumann Press, J992h p, 203.

39. Joseph Cardinal Rut/inger, Principles of Cur hoist The¬
ology (San Rrancisco: Ignatius Press. l9K7j, pp. 381-
382,

40. Lefebvre, op , cir., p. 100.

Of the Alta Vendim 37

41 Interview of Bishop Morris by Kieron Wood, Ctiiholic
Worid News, September 27, 1997.

42. Lefebvre, op. at., p 107,

43- Paul V| P General Audience of January 12, 1966, in
/ttsegntawnfi di Paolo Vi. vol. 4, p, 700. in Atila Strike
Guimaraes. in the Murky Waters of Vatican ti
(Metairie: MALTA, 1997; TAN, 1999). pp. 111*112,

Appendix I

FREEMASONRY'S HATRED
OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

The greatest impediment in discussing top¬
ics such as the A Ita Vendita is that many peo¬
ple. Catholics included, refuse to believe that
Masonry actually loathes the Church to the
extent of warring a staunch, sophisticated cam-
paign against it.

Yet evidence of Freemasonry’s hatred of
Catholicism and its avowed aim to destroy the
Church is confirmed in Catholic and Masonic
documents alike.

At the time of the French Revolution.
Masonry's well-known hat tie cry was rio over¬
turn Throne and Altar* — that is, monarchies
and Catholicism, in ihe late I8lh century, Abbe
Augustine Barruef, a former Freemason, wrote
that “the object of their conspiracy is to over¬
turn every altar where Christ is adored’" 1

One of the most dramatic examples of

Freemasonry's Hatred of the Church 39

Freemasonry's haired of Christ and His Church
is found in the Declaration of the 1868 Inter¬
national Congress in Geneva and is recounted
in Msgr. Dillon's superb book. Grand Orient
Freemasonry Unmasked, Part of the declaration
from that Congress reads:

Down then with God and with Christ!
Down with the despots of Heaven and
earth. Death 10 the priests! Such is the
motto of our grand crusade, 3

The Pontiffs vs, the Pagans

The great, vigilant Popes of the late 18th,
19th and the first half of the 20th century were
constantly sounding the alarm against the secret
societies, their liberal principles and their hatred
of Christianity.

I n h i s boo k, Freemasonry and the Artti-Ch ris -
tian Movement* Father E. Cahill, S.J., writes:

The Papal condemnations of Freema¬
sonry are so severe and sweeping in their
tenor as to be quite unique in the history
of Church legislation. During the last two
centuries Freemasonry has been expressly
anathematized by at least ten different

40 Appendix l

Popes and condemned directly or indi-
reel I y by almost every Pontiff that sat on
the Chair of St. Peter. . . . The Popes
charge the Freemasons with occult crim¬
inal activities, with “shameful deeds.”
with worshipping Satan himself (a ebarge
which is hinted at in some Papal docu¬
ments). with infamy, blasphemy, sacrilege
and the most abominable heresies of for¬
mer times; with the systematic practice
of assassination; with treason against the
State, with anarchical and revolutionary
principles and with favoring and promot¬
ing what is now' called Bolshevism [Russ¬
ian Communism 1; with corrupting and
perverting the minds of youth; with
shameful hypocrisy and lying, hy means
of which Freemasons strive to hide their
w ickedness under a cloak of probity and
respectability, w hile in reality they are the
very "synagogue of Satan," whose direct
aim and object is the complete destruc¬
tion of Christianity/

Pope Leo XIIt

Of all the Papal condemnations of Freema¬
sonry. Pope Leo XIIFs 1884 Encyclical

Freemasonry 'x Haired of the Church 41

Huimmutn Genus stands unparalleled in strength
and brilliance. A more complete and concise
explanation and condemnation of the evils and
errors of Masonry will not be found in any other
magisterial pronouncement. Again and again in
this encyclical, the Pope emphasizes (hat the
goat of Freemasonry is nothing less than the
utter destruction of the Church and Christian¬
ity. He writes:

No longer making any secret of their
purpose, they are now boldly rising up
against God Himself. They are planning
the destruction of the holy Church pub¬
licly and openly, and this with the set pur¬
pose of utterly despoiling the nations of
Christendom, if ii were possible, of the
blessings obtained for us through Jesus
Christ our Saviour. 4

Pope Leo explains that since Masonry is
based on Naturalism, it is anti-Christian in its
essence. Naturalism holds that human nature
and human reason are supreme, and that there
are no truths revealed by God that men are
bound to believe.

Naturalists deny the authority of the Catholic
Church as God's voice upon earth, and ihere-

42 Appendix /

fore* "ft is against the Church that the rage
and the attack of the enemies / Freemasons} are
principally directed."- Pope Leo X J11 refers to
the testimony of “well-informed men” both in
the past and more recently who have "declared
it to be true of the Freemasons that they espe¬
cially desire to assail the Church with irrecon-
cilable hostility; and that they will never rest
until they have destroyed whatever the supreme
Pontiffs have established for the sake of
religion

He also points out that the Freemasons con¬
sider it lawful to "attack with impunity the very
foundations of the Catholic religion, in speech*
in writing and in teaching." 7

Pope Leo explained that one of their most
powerful means of warring against the Church
is their promotion of religious indiffereniism*
—the idea that it really does not matter which
religion one belongs to. This undermines all
religions* but Catholicism in particular* since
only the Catholic Church firmly teaches (and
powerfully demonstrates) that it is the One True
Religion established by God.

The Freemasons themselves boast that they
were the driving force behind the "Declaration
of the Rights of Man" and the French Revolu¬
tion * Their intent is to lift civilization off of

Frecmasonry's Hatred of the Church 43

its Christian foundations and place it on one
of naturalism, in w hich God has no place. It
was this corrupt goal that Pope Leo XIII
referred to when he said. "To wish to destroy
the religion and the Church which God Him¬
self has established* and whose perpetuity He
insures by His protection, and to bring back
after a lapse of eighteen centuries the manners
and customs of the pagans, is signal folly and
audacious impiety" 1 *

Therefore, those who refuse to believe that
Freemasonry is not working toward the destruc¬
tion of the Church do so simply because they
do not want to believe. The Sovereign Pontiffs
and the Freemasons themselves provide abun¬
dant testimony of the Masonic hatred of and
avowed war against the Catholic Church.

NOTES TO APPENDIX I

1 . Fr. Vincent Miorii. Freemasonry and the Church (cas-
sate lecture) (Montvate, NJ: Keep the Faith. Inc.).

2. Msgr. Dillon. Grand Orient freemasonry Unmasked
[Dublin: Gill, ISS5: Palmdale. CA: Christian Book
Club* n.d.J* p, viii.

3. Quoicd in Fr. Denis Fahey* Apologia pro Vita Mm
CBrief Sketch of My Life Work"I {Palmdale, CA:
Christi&n Book Club).

4. Pope Leo XIII. Humsmum Genus—On Freemasonry

44

Appendix I

(TAN, 1978). par. 2.

5. Ibid, par, 12,

6. ibid,. par. 15.

7. (bid., par. 14.

8. (bid., par, 16.

9. Fr. Danis Fahey. CS.Sp,. The Mystical Body of Christ
in the Modem World (Palmdale, CA: Christian Bonk
Club. 1939)* ch. 5-8.

10. Pope Leo XIU. op , dr. par. 24.

Appendix H

THE OATH AGAINST
MODERNISM

Issued by Pope St. Puts X on September /. 1910
and required of ail priests ami philosophy and
rheology professors. Abolished in 1967 .

“I * * , firmly embrace and accept each and
every definition that has been set forth and
declared by the unerring leaching authority of
the Church* especially those principal truths
which are directly opposed to the errors of this
day. And first of all* I profess that God, the
origin and end of all things, can be known with
certainty by the natural light of reason from
the created world {cf. Rom. 1:20}* that is* from
the visible works of creation* as a cause from
its effects, and that, therefore. His existence can
also be demonstrated. Secondly* I accept and
acknowledge the external proofs of Revelation,

that is. divine acts and especially miracles and
45

46

Appendix //

prophecies as ihe surest signs of the divine ori¬
gin of Ihe Christian religion, and 1 hold that
these same proofs are well adapted to the
understanding of all eras and all men. even of
this time. Thirdly* I believe with equally firm
faith that the Church, the guardian and teacher
of the revealed word* was personally instituted
by the real and historical Christ when He lived
among us, and that the Church was built upon
Peter, the prince of the apostolic hierarchy, and
his successors for the duration of time. Fourthly,
1 sincerely hold that the doctrine of Faith was
handed down to us from the Apostles through
the orthodox Fathers in exactly the same mean¬
ing and always in the same purport. Therefore,
I entirely reject the heretical misrepresentation
that dogmas evolve and change from one mean¬
ing to another different from the one which the
Church held previously. I also condemn every
error according to which, in place of the divine
Deposit which has been given to the spouse of
Christ to be carefully guarded by her there is
put a philosophical figment or product of a
human conscience that has gradually been
developed by human effort and will continue
to develop indefinitely. Fifthly, I hold w ith cer¬
tainty and sincerely confess that faith is not a
blind sentiment of religion welling up from the

The Oath against Modernism 47

depths of the subconscious under the impulse
of the heart and the motion of a will trained to
morality; but faith is a genuine assent of the
intellect to truth received by hearing from an
external source. By this assent, because of the
authority of Ihe supremely truthful God, we
believe to be true that which has been revealed
and attested to by a personal God, our Creator
and Lord.

"Furthermore, with due reverence, I submit
and adhere with my whole heart to the con¬
demnations* declarations, and all the prescripts
contained in the encyclical Pitscendi and in the
decree Lamentabili, especially those concern¬
ing what is known as the history of dogmas. 1
also reject the error of those w f ho say that the
Faith held by the Church can contradict his¬
tory. and that Catholic dogmas, in the sense in
which they are now understood* are irrecon¬
cilable with a more realistic view of the ori¬
gins of the Christian Religion, 1 also condemn
and reject the opinion of those who say that a
well-educated Christian assumes a dual per¬
sonality^—that of a believer, and at the same
time of an historian; as if it were permissible
for an historian to hold things that contradict
the Faith of the believer, or to establish premises
which, provided there he no direct denial of

48 Appendix It

dogmas, would lead lo the conclusion that dog¬
mas are either False or doubtful. Likewise, I
reject that method of judging and interpreting
Sacred Scripture which, departing from the Tra¬
dition of the Church, the analogy of Faith, and
the norms of the Apostolic See, embraces the
misrepresentations of the Rationalists, and with
no prudence or restraint adopts textual criticism
as the one and supreme norm. Furthermore, I
reject the opinion of those who hold that a pro¬
fessor lecturing or writing on an historico-the¬
ological subject should first pul aside any
preconceived opinion about the supernatural ori¬
gin of Catholic Tradition or about the divine
promise of help to preserve all revealed truth
forever; and that he should then interpret the
writings of each of the Fathers solely by sci¬
entific principles, excluding alt sacred author¬
ity, and with the same liberty of judgment that
is common in the investigation of all ordinary
historical documents.

“Finally, 1 declare that 1 am completely
opposed to the error of the Modernists who hold
that there is nothing divine in sacred Tradition:
or what is far worse, say that there is. hut in
a pantheistic sense, with the result that there
would remain nothing but this plain simple
fact—one to he put on a par with the ordinary

The Oath against Modernism 49

facts of history—the fact, namely, that a group
of men by their own labor, skill and talent have
continued through subsequent ages a school
begun by Christ and His Apostles. I firmly hold,
then, and shall hold to my dying breath the
belief of the Fathers in the charism of truth
which certainly is, was and always will be in
the succession of the episcopacy from the
Apostles, The purpose of this is, then, not that
dogma may be tailored according to what
seems better and more suited to the culture of
each age; rather, that the absolute and
immutable truth preached by the Apostles from
the beginning may never be believed to be dif¬
ferent. may never be understood in any other
way,

"1 promise that I shall keep all these arti¬
cles faithfully, entirely and sincerely and guard
them inviolate, in no way deviating from them
in teaching or in any way in w r ord or in writ¬
ing. Thus I promise, thus I swear, so help me
God,"

Tex I quoi cd from The Church Teaches: Documents of the
Church in English Translation. Trand. iind ed. by Jesuit
Fathers of Si. Mary's College, Si. Mary's, KS {Si. Louis:
B Herder. 1955: TAN. 1975). pp. 56-59.

PRAYER FOR THE
CONVERSION OF FREEMASONS

LORD JESUS CHRIST, Who showest

V-/ forth Thine omnipotence most manifestly
when Thou sparest and hast compassion. Thou
Who didst say, "Pray for those who persecute
and calumniate you,'* we implore the clemency
of Thy Sacred Heart on behalf of souls, made
in the image of God, but most miserably
deceived by the treacherous snares of Freema¬
sons and going more and more astray in the
way of perdition. Let not the Church, Thy
Spouse, any longer be oppressed by them, but
appeased by ihe intercession of the Blessed Vir¬
gin, Thy Mother, and the prayers of the just, be
mindful of Thine infinite mercy; and disre¬
garding their perversity, cause these very men
to return to Thee, that they may hring consola¬
tion to the Church by a most abundant penance,
make reparation for their misdeeds, and secure
for themselves a glorious eternity. Who live si
and reignest world without end. Amen,

—The Raccolta
8th Edition, p. 410

50